Wondering what it's like to work at Salesforce from someone technically minded? Introducing Mikkel Flindt Heisterberg, Technical Architect in Denmark! Find out how he came to join the #SalesforceOhana and why you should too! Here's his story..
How did your Salesforce adventure begin?
Everything fell into place. I had been spending time soul searching and contemplating where my career was heading and what my next steps would be when I was approached by a member of the Salesforce Recruiting team. We began talking about career opportunities that may be of interest and things progressed from there.
Prior to joining I had spent the last 9 years in a very small independent software vendor and the more I talked to people, I realised I was ready for a new challenge. The call from Salesforce couldn't have come at a better time for me to make the jump. I guess I was also “lucky” to be approached and that it coincided with me looking for something new.
Next up was the interview process, which can be pretty involved and extensive. At the time I remember thinking it was rather excessive, but the longer I've been with Salesforce the more I understand why.
The company is growing and evolving so fast that we need the most talented and dedicated people to join our Ohana to keep up with and foster the innovation taking place around us. Anyone but the best just won't do. I know that puts me in the spotlight, but it's really true.
No matter where you look inside Salesforce, you see very capable, determined people who are at the top of their game. It challenges you to go the extra mile and enables you to continuously grow and learn.
Why did you chose to be a Technical Architect?
I'm a very technical person and have spent the last 20+ years coding, whether that be on products or for customers. It's important to be passionate about your career, whichever direction you take. For me it was clear, my next career move always had to be utilising technology.
As to choosing a particular role at Salesforce and which roles are offered I think I'm all the wiser now. I came from a much smaller organisation where roles are quite fluid and not as set in stone as they are here. Not that it's a bad thing by any means, it was actually one of the things I was searching for. Knowing my place in the grander scheme of things and knowing what's expected of me is very important to me.
Where does your role fit into the CSG organisation?
So CSG, or Customer Success Group, is our professional services organisation. We deliver services engagements like any other consultancy out there but with a unique Salesforce twist. Not unique because we are Salesforce and we produce the product but because we are backed by the product organisation. Engaging with us really means engaging with the entire Salesforce organisation. Since we do make the product there are certain solutions and answers only we can provide.
In my role as a technical architect, I'm the guy with the hands on the mouse and the keyboard actually doing the stuff in the customer org (their instance of Salesforce). In a real engagement I will usually be joined by a Project Manager (PM), Business Architect (BA) and/or a Solution Architect (SA). We sure do love our acronyms here. That isn't to say that other roles will not work in the org as well but they are not as hands-on and technical as I am. I'm responsible for designing the data models, the security models, the integrations, the data flows and making sure that the provided solution is right for the business from a technology perspective.
Technology is nothing unless it fulfills an actual business need. Just implementing technology without a clear objective is a waste of time. This means making sure that the “stuff” we are doing fits into the greater technology landscape for the customer. It is also very rare to see any one solution being completely siloed so knowing when, how and why to integrate is key.
The role is also about explaining what the consequence of doing something a certain way will be and deciding which direction to go. Often there are many potential solutions to the same problem each with their own pros and cons. That's where I come in - I make sure we pick the right solution while keeping the business requirements front and center.
Why Salesforce, why now?
As you learned earlier, I wasn't actively looking for a career in Salesforce per say, so I'll make this more about you, the reader... I think Salesforce is a great place to work and you'll be working with great people. There are a million articles and mentions recognising this and yada yada yada...
But here's the good stuff.. What makes Salesforce great from a technology perspective? Well, it's the fact that we offer an suite of products that comprise the entire cycle in which a customer will go through. We have products for commerce, marketing, collaboration, sales and service. We even have IoT and analytics also known as 'Einstein'. We have it all.
In addition to that, we are at the top of the game, if not a market leader in all of those fields. And it's all built on the same platform. It's pretty cool. There is so much technology to work and play with that you'll find there are not enough hours in the day.
So I would change the question - why not Salesforce? Why not now? There has never been a company leading the way in so many aspects of technology. There is such huge opportunities to grow and build your skills that it will undoubtedly surprise you. Come join our Ohana - you will not be sorry!
Quick facts about me:
I'm 41 years old living north of Copenhagen in Denmark. I'm married with two kids aged 7 and 4 which keeps me pretty busy. I've always been interested in technology and have been programming for the last 30 years in a variety of fields. I thrive being around people and working alongside them rather than on my own which at times can be unique for someone working in a technical role! I like approaching problems from the customer's point of view and finding solutions to complex problems. I love public speaking and spent the last 10 years before joining Salesforce on the IBM conference circuit speaking in front of crowds of 10-10,000 people.
